Fruit-clipper



(No Model.)

J. P. ANDERSON.

FRUIT GLIPPER. No. 547,408.

Paten-ted O0t.8,1895

' ATTRNEI/l' WITJESSES:

ZKMM/ Nirnn Startins FRUIT-CLIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,408, dated October 8, 1895.

Application filed April 6, 1893. Serial No. 469,360- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlan tic, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Clippers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, 'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the :figures of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in implements for cutting fruits and flowers from the bushes or trees on which they grow.

The object of my invention is to provide a hand-tool in the shape of a clipper or shears of such construction that it may be held in and operated by one hand, clipping oftthe stem of a fruit or a bunch of grapes or owers,

ttc., and hold the fruit by the stern until it is placed in a basket or other receptacle, when it may be readily released by the opening of the clipper. I attain this object by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side view of my fruit-clipper. Fig. 2 is a front end view of the jaws and means for holding the fruit-stem. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the spring-held yoke, by which the fruit-stem is held against the lower jaw. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top View of the spring, located inside the yoke and pressing it downward.

Referring to the several parts in the drawings by reference, numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair of levers, of which the upper one is provided with a bow 3, adapted to go upon the thumb of the operators hand. The other is provided with a hook 4 to prevent it from slipping forward out of the fingers, grabbing over the lever 2, in using the rear portions of the levers as handles of the implement. The front portions of the levers are crossed over each other and pivoted together by a pivotscrew 5, beyond which they are formed into shear-jaws 6 and 7, provided with cuttingedges 8 and 9, which, when the jaws close, work in conjunction, cutting oft the stem of the fruit, as shown in Fig. 2.

10 is a spring secured by screws or rivets 11 to the lever l. The front end of said spring 10 bears against the top of the boss .12, formed at the inner side of the lever 2. This spring tends at all times to keep the handles spread and the jaws 6 and 7 open. The closing of the implement against the resistance ot the spring 10 is caused by a closing pressure of the operator-s hand, holding the manner already described.

13 represents a cluster of fruit with its stem 14 15 just severed by the instrument. It will be observed that the portion 14 of the stem is being tirmly held between the upper face 29 of the jaw 7 and the corrugated surface 16 of a stem-holding yoke 30, which is formed of the two parallel bars 31 32 and the two short transverse and segmentally-shaped end bars 33 34, uniting the long bars. This yoke is held upon the side of the jaw 6 by the heads 35 of the two screws 36, which are screwed tightly into screw-threaded holes in the jaw and have one side of their heads overhanging the inner edge of the end bars 33 34: ot' the yoke, said end bars sliding upand down between the screw-heads and the face of the jaw.

37 is a spring formed of two segmentalshaped flat springs 38 and 39, united together by a rivet 40 at their middle. The ends of the upper spring 38 touch up under the screws 36, as shown in Fig. 3, while the ends of the lower spring are slightly let down into the dents 4l in the inner side of the lower bar 31. Thus an X-shaped or bifurcated double spring is formed, which tends at all times to hold the lower bar of the yoke almost out to the edge S of the jaw 6 and the upper bar 32, resting upon the upper sides of the screws 36.

.Vhen the implement is closed with a stein of a fruit between the lower and corrugated bar 31 and the jaw 7, the yoke moves upward against the resistance of the spring 37, until, if required, the upper and lower ends of the springs are by the bar 31 closed together against the under sides of the screws 36.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a fruit clipper the combination with the handles 1, 2, jaws 6, 7, having the cutting edges 8,-9, and pivot joint 5, of the stem-holdin g yoke the handles in ICO 30, having the two longitudinal hars 3l, 32, bar of the yoke, substantially as shown and 1a the lower side of the lower bar being corrudescribed, and for the purpose set forth. gated, the transverse bars 33, 34, the screws In testimony whereof I afx my signature 36, secured in the jaw and having one side of in presence of two witnesses.

5 their heads loosely overhanging the inner edges of the said end bars 33, 34, the X-shaped JOHN P. ANDERSON. spring 37, having two of its ends pressing up Witnesses: under the screws 36, and its other two ends .NIELS ANDERSEN,

pressing down upon the inner side of the lower JOHN A. SPOOR. 

